A Dance of Frost and Flame
by TrassDrakin
Summary: Sequel to 'Aaron and the Snow Queen'. Life in Arendelle has proven to not be what Aaron expected. To make matters worse, his relationship with Elsa feels more strained with each passing day. But perhaps the arrival of Spring will change things.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The sun lazily drifted upward through the morning sky, shinning down on the glistening sea. There wasn't a cloud to be seen nor was there even a hint of a breeze to disturb the tranquil waters as they lapped quietly against the land. Towering above it all, the mountains remained as stoic as ever, their frosty peaks still wreathed in the snows of winter. Despite the icy grip on their summits that would persist even through summer the rime on the lower slopes was already beginning to thaw. It would be a few more weeks before the trees would begin to bud in earnest but some songbirds were already beginning to find their way home.

Spring was returning to the land of Arendelle at last, heralding the approach of the distant summer. Gone were the long, dark nights of the winter when the winds would howl and the snows would blanket the hills and meadows. The world was beginning to awaken from its arctic slumber, with flowers pushing up through the snow and animals emerging from their dens. Soon the forests would be alive with new life celebrating the retreat of winter for another year. For now, though, the world dozed on. Except for one little fjord.

Nestled against its mountain, the city of Arendelle was thriving with activity. The people were emerging from their homes, taking a moment to greet one another before hurrying about their business. Rushing to their place of work, they quickly set about performing their craft as though they had not time to spare. Finally the city could wake from its self-induced coma but there was no time to delay, with so much to do with so little time to do it. Before they knew it the Blooming Festival would be upon them.

Even though it was only a couple of days away, there were still tons of things to make ready in preparation for the weeklong celebration. Marking the official return of spring, it was by far the most important time of the year and saw thousands of people flocking to the capital from all corners of the kingdom to join in the festivities. Arriving from cities like Harstal in the west, Stjorden to the south and maybe even a few from Varhan in the far north, they came to forget the hardships of winter by celebrating the new life that spring brought with it. In order to impress all the coming people everything had to be perfect. Especially since this year's Blooming Festival was to be accompanied by a very special occasion.

It had been a little under three decades since the last royal wedding had occurred, marrying the former king to his bride-to-be. Now the time had come for his daughter to be wed and the citizens were abuzz with excitement. While some considered it to be scandalous for someone of royalty to marry a commoner the rest were just elated for the happy couple. In the short time the young man had lived there he had come to be well-liked in the community, even if he was different, so no one really complained about the matter.

Rumors had quickly spread that delegations from all the neighboring kingdoms would be coming, including Corona and the Southern Isles to the south and Maneva to the west. There was even talk of a dignitary coming all the way from the shrouded kingdom of Ildonen. They came to pay their respects and attend the wedding while some would even stay for the Blooming Festival, so now not only did Arendelle have to appease its own citizens, it had to impress its neighbors as well.

If the city was thick with commotion, though, it was nothing compared to the castle. Squatting on the island that sheltered the city's harbor, the fortress was normally quite serene as it overlooked the fjord. Within its towering keep and sweeping walls there was generally little activity other than the usual hubbub of the staff who were employed to maintain it as well as see to its occupants. However, with a wedding to host and a festival to prepare for there was nary a moment to waste for anyone, causing its hallways to fill with both servants and nobility alike.

It was down one of these hallways that a particular man walked. His amber eyes were distant yet he still managed to slip through the crowds with relative ease while he mulled over his thoughts. A sheathed sword was bound to his side while an ebony cloak draped over his shoulders, trailing behind him slightly as he walked. His polished boots clacked against the lacquered floors and a few people offered greetings to his passing but he didn't seem to hear any of it, instead continuing forward unhindered. That is, until an unfortunate maid happened to wander directly into his path.

Giving a yelp of surprise, she dropped the linens she was carrying while spinning to see who had so rudely nearly knocked her over. Whatever protests she might have had, though, quickly died away when she saw who it was, instead lowering her gaze and nervously brushing her hair aside, blushing profusely. "Oh! Lord Aaron!" she exclaimed with a small smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you coming. Had I known I would have-"

Torn from his musings, Aaron cut her off before she continue with a broad smile of his own. "It's quite alright, no need to apologize. It was my fault. Should have been looking where I was going." He then paused to give the maid a closer look and added, "You're Sally, right?"

This lured a second smile out of her and she gave him a small curtsy before timidly lifting her eyes to meet his. "Yes, my lord. So kind of you to remember a lowly maid like me."

Shrugging, he replied, "I make a point of remembering everyone who works in the castle, be they a guard or a cook or even a maid, such as yourself." Glancing down, he looked at the clean sheets strewn across the floor with a frown. "Sorry about that. Here, let me get that for you."

With that he stooped down and began gathering up the linens as she stammered out a objection, trying to usher him away while looking around in the vain hope that nobody else was watching. "Oh no! You don't have to do that! Really, I should do it. Please, a lord shouldn't have to clean up after a maid."

Ignoring her pleas, Aaron quickly scooped the sheets together before standing again to hand them back to her. They were no longer the neatly folded stack she'd been carrying before their collision but he'd done the best he could. "It's quite alright, it was no trouble at all," he said, waving off her protests. "A man should clean up his own mess. Again, sorry I made you drop them."

After one last futile attempt to ward him off she consented with a gracious nod, accepting the sheets. "Thank you."

His smile reappeared and he returned the nod, saying, "You're welcome. Now, I'm in a slight hurry but is there anything else I can do for you?"

"What?" She was taken aback by his question, clearly not used to being asked such questions from lords. Normally she, like other maids, was blatantly ignored by other nobles and yet Aaron had asked if there was anything _he_ could do for _her_. Trying not to blush again and failing, she quickly shook her head. "No, no. I shouldn't keep you from wherever it is that you're going." He had just started to turn away when a thought occurred to her. "Well, actually…"

Halting midstride, he gave her a patient look and, when she didn't respond right away, prompted her with a gentle, "Yes?"

It still took her a few seconds to reply, anxiously biting her lips and looking away while she thought. Eventually, though, she managed to pluck up the courage to speak. Absentmindedly twirling a lock of hair around her finger, she said, "Well… the other maids and I couldn't help but notice that you don't have a woman in your life." As she said this she gave him a hopeful glance.

However, as she spoke his face steadily hardened until, though he still smiled, he wore a guarded expression. With a curt nod he replied, "That's correct."

The sudden departure from his normally friendly demeanor unnerved her somewhat, so she decided to pull back on her approach, instead looking down at the floor anxiously. "I guess what my question is… what I was wondering is what it is you do with your spare time?"

What she had hoped for was an interested look or a warm reply. What she got was a slow headshake and an amused chuckle. "Oh Sally. I'm the Lord Protector of Arendelle." When she looked back at him she saw that he was giving her a dashing grin that made her innards leap. "What spare time?" Without waiting for her to respond, he brusquely added, "Now, while I hate to be rude, if you'll excuse me I have urgent matters to attend to. Enjoy the rest of your day." With that, he turned and continued striding down the hall.

He was already out of hearing when she managed to mumble, "Thank you, my lord," watching him go with a wondrous expression on her face. It was only after he'd disappeared into the crowd that she turned and hurried towards the nearest stairs. Having completely forgotten about the linen in her arms, she was eager to tell the other maids about her encounter.

Meanwhile, the woman was already far from Aaron's thoughts before he'd gone so much as a dozen steps. There were far too many things for him to be focused on at the moment to be thinking of her. There was the drills to run tomorrow morning, the guard detail to be planned out for both the festival and the wedding, and the manifest problems that he needed to run by the commissioner of trade. Of all the objectives he needed to address, that was the one he was looking forward to least, seeing how he and the commissioner of trade didn't get along very well. Not to mention the fact that he was already running late before the brief accident with the maid.

Working his way through the crowd, careful not to inadvertently cause any more accidents that would delay him further, he made it to the large staircase at the end of the hall and vaulted up it, taking the stairs two at a time. Luckily the number of people on the second floor was considerably less than that of the first. Most of the work was being focused on the great hall and the main ballroom so the only people to be found on this floor were a handful of guards and one or two servants who were still finishing the morning cleaning.

Ignoring all of them, he barreled down the hallway until he reached the far side of the castle and approached a twin set of sealed doors, which were flanked by a pair of guards. They both snapped to attention at his approach but he paid them no heed, not even hesitating as he flung the doors open and strode into the room. It was a relatively spacious room, with a fireplace situated along the left wall and a large bank of windows to the right overlooking the water of the fjord. Numerous paintings and tapestries lined the walls, and while they were beautifully made he didn't look at any of them. His attention was focused on the long table in the center of the room that had seven or so people sitting at it, all of whom had looked at his entry.

A few gave disgruntled mutters to one anther but Aaron ignored them, keeping his eyes fixed on the figures at the far end of the table. There sat two women, a regal blonde who sat at the head of the table and a cheerful redhead to her right. The redhead, who was wearing a lovely green dress complete with a silk bow in her hair, perked up at his arrival and gave him a friendly smile accompanied by a small wave. Unfortunately, the blonde, on the other hand, didn't look so happy to see him. Though her face glowed with immeasurable beauty and her azure gown shimmered like frosted dew in the light of a dawning sun her expression was ominously foreboding as she fixed him with an icy stare.

After pausing to shut the door behind him, he turned back to the table with an apologetic look. Starting with the redhead, he gave her a polite nod along a warm smile. "Princess Anna. You're looking as lovely as ever."

Returning the nod, her smile widened. "Thank you, Lord Aaron. Nice to see you too."

With that pleasantry out of the way he let his face grow somber while drawing in a deep breath and gave a deep bow to the blonde. Bending forward until his torso was parallel with the floor, he spoke in a revered tone. "Queen Elsa."

She waited until he was standing upright again before piercing him through again with those striking sapphire eyes of hers. Her voice was stern and her words chilled as she replied, "Lord Aaron. So good of you to join us."

Though she was staring daggers at him and her voice contained all the menace of a hissing cobra Aaron was fairly certain that he could detect just a hint of amusement lurking within the depths of her eyes. Construing it as a small pardon, he resumed walking towards the table. "My queen, let me apologize for my tardiness. It's just that-"

Before he could continue, though, he was abruptly cut off when one of the elderly men at the table rose to his feet and gave him a harsh glare. "You are expected to arrive at these meetings on time, Lord Aaron," he growled in a gruff voice.

Coming to a halt, Aaron wheeled to give the man an equally hostile look. While the queen could speak to him in whatever tone she wished, he was in no mood to be talked down to by someone who had no authority over him. Letting anger seep into his voice, he tersely replied, "Yes, Lord Stien. And maybe I would, except that you know full well that I was finishing inspections in the barracks not five minutes ago. In fact, you knew that when you scheduled this meeting."

Growing agitated, the man's face started to grow red as he said, "That is not my problem. The scheduling is adjusted to accommodate the most people. If you had a problem with it then you should have mentioned it at some point."

Aaron slowly strode to the edge of the table, his anger mounting. "You know damn well I mentioned it. Several times, in fact."

"Then perhaps you ought to have-"

"Enough, gentlemen," Elsa interjected, standing suddenly. Though her voice was quiet both men relented immediately, though Aaron continued to give the other man an irritated look while Stien fidgeted under her frosty stare. When both fell silent she turned to the elder one first, giving him an admonishing look. "Lord Stien, whether you like it or not Lord Aaron is a part of this council and you will give him the respect he is due."

Bowing his head and reclaiming his seat, the man stammered, "Yes, your majesty. Forgive me, I forgot myself." He continued to stare down at the table until Elsa looked away before giving Aaron a quick glare.

Aaron was about to return the scowl when he realized that Elsa was now focused on him. "As for you, Lord Aaron." The words hung in the air for several seconds surrounded by nothing but silence while her cold eyes burrowed into him. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the anger in her eyes vanished and she reseated herself. "Try to be on time for the next meeting."

Letting out a silent sigh of relief, he gave her another deep bow. "Of course, my queen. My apologies. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." Her eyes lingered on him for a second longer before she returned her attention to the table. "Now, what were you saying about the trade between here and Harstal, Lord Kai?"

After clearing his throat, Kai gave her a nod. "Yes, your majesty. As I was saying…"

With that, the meeting resumed as though nothing had happened. All focus was back on the subject at hand, though Stien continued to flash him dirty looks out of the corner of his eye. Aaron didn't care, though. Let Stien hate him. It wasn't like he could do anything to him. Taking care not to disrupt the meeting further, he quietly walked to the only empty seat available, the one situated at the closest end of the table and the farthest one from Elsa. Sinking into it silently, he tried to focus on the current discussion only to find that he had nothing to contribute. As Lord Protector he was charged with defending the realm from all would-be threats, not determining the most cost-efficient goods to be shipping.

Unfortunately this was how most council meetings went. Unless a question of security arose or there was concern about properly defending the shipping lanes there was little for him to add. The meeting would then drag on for another hour or so while Aaron would find himself growing increasingly bored. No matter how bored he became, though, it was nothing compared to the looks that crossed Anna's face. She listed aimlessly in her chair, vainly trying to focus on the monotonous conversations as her expression only became more and more dull. In fact, during one meeting she'd become so bored that her head, which had been resting on her hand, had slipped and nearly clacked against the side of the table. The only thing that had prevented that was some quick thinking by Elsa, who managed to reach out in time to catch her.

Today was proving to be no different as Anna stared out the window with a vacant look on her face, clearly not listening to the discussion. Even Elsa didn't appear to be entirely focused. Though she watched the council members with a rapt expression on her face something in her eyes suggested that she had begun to zone out of the meeting. Despite this things continued to drag on for a prolonged stretch, with most of the subjects being dominated by Stien griping in one form or another about how the expenses of the upcoming festival would somehow bankrupt the entire kingdom. Then Kai would wrestle back control of the meeting for a few minutes only to have it slip back into stagnation.

Eventually the conversation became impossibly bogged down, with Stien and another lord bickering about the usage of ships traveling to Maneva. One was insisting on using them to transport livestock, the other adamantly claiming on the side of grain. While they fought Aaron found himself studying the grain of the support beam in the ceiling above him, his fingers tapping out a random beat aimlessly on the wooden table. Then, just when he was starting to feel like he could bear no more, he heard a chair slide away from the table followed by silence. Looking down, he saw that Elsa was now standing and everyone else at the table was giving her their full attention.

Her eyes were weary as she said, "Alright. I think that's enough for today." Stien made to protest but was silenced with a glance. "Anything not covered will have to be addressed in the next meeting of the council."

With that she looked at Kai and nodded, who returned the nod. Turning to the others gathered at the table, he said, "Very well. Meeting adjourned."

Anna let out a relieved sigh before she climbed to her feet, smoothing out her dress as she did so. While he shared in her relief, Aaron was careful not to show his glee. Stretching both his arms and giving his neck a quick roll, he also stood, turning immediately towards the door. There were too many things for him to do to waste time making small talk with the other members of the council so he made his departure. He hadn't gone more than a step, though, when he heard Elsa call out to him. "Lord Aaron. If you would wait a moment."

Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder to see that she was giving him an expectant look. Questions quickly began to circle within the depths of his mind as to what she could want but he didn't give voice to them, instead merely nodding. "Of course, my queen."

"I wish to have a word with you." Glancing at the other men in the room, she added, "In private."

They all seemed to get the hint, quickly gathering together their effects and making for the door. Rather than following right away, Anna lingered for a moment to have a quick word with the queen. They shared a few whispered words followed by a quiet giggle and then she started to walk from the room as well. Passing by Aaron, she gave him another smile before stepping into the hall and quietly shutting the door behind her.

With silence settling into the room, Aaron suddenly became acutely aware of the fact that it was just him and Elsa left. Moving slowly, he turned to look at where she stood by the fireplace. A delicate smile that decorated her lips still lingered from her quiet exchange with her sister but that quickly faded when their eyes met, her face becoming placid. Neither bothered filling the air with useless words, instead letting their eyes do the talking and in turn causing the tension in the room build. Several seconds ticked by, with neither of them looking away, until one finally broke.

Letting out an exacerbated sigh, he dropped his gaze and gave his head a small shake. Aaron stared down at the floor as he let out a chuckle, starting to walk forward and raising his eyes back to hers. She know wore a triumphant smirk, her eyes having become beckoning as though to offer an invitation. An invitation he dared not refuse. Elsa neither retreated nor moved to meet him, patiently waiting for him to close the distance between them. As a result, by the time he reached her his hunger had grown to the point that he didn't even hesitate in reaching out and taking her into his arms.

"Finally," Aaron breathed heatedly, slipping a hand behind her neck and pulling her into a fervent kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Elsa doubted she would ever be able to adequately explain to someone how it felt to kiss Aaron. At least, not with measly words. How could she possibly describe the warm haven provided by his strong arms whenever he drew her into a tender embrace? Or the sudden rush in her heart when his beckoning lips would reach for hers? Of course, both of those paled when compared to the actual deed itself. Especially the river of energy that surged between them, funneling into the channel provided by their interlocked lips. It crashed through her entire body and assailed her fears, wiping them away before leaving her on a blissful plane of existence. It was during these periods of momentary harmony that her body would begin to act on its own, pressing itself against his while her hands took ahold of whatever part of him they could reach.

During this particular kiss, though, she didn't allow herself to be fully immersed in the pleasure of his lips caressing hers, instead trying to remain in control of herself. However, this proved to be much more difficult than she expected as her body raged to be released. Her hands wanted nothing more than to swarm over him, not sit idly by her sides, and it only made worse when he her deeper and deeper into his embrace. He seemed to quickly become aware of the fact that she was holding back and to make it his mission to break her control. His lips redoubled their assault as his hands began to glide across her, titillating her skin while also driving her mad with an insatiable yearning.

It felt like her restraint was just starting to give when his lips abruptly separated from hers as Aaron pulled back to look at her. Her mouth instinctively moved to pursue his but she managed to stop herself in time, if only barely, while trying to slow her elevated heart rate. She was just starting to get her breathing back under control when she heard him give a quiet chuckle and realized that he was giving her an amused look.

"I didn't excite you, did I?" he asked softly with a broad grin.

Shaking her head and glancing away, Elsa hastily replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"No? Then perhaps this will help." Before she do anything he suddenly leaned down and ran his sweltering lips along the length of her neck, from the base to the top. The wave of heat radiating into her delicate flesh was enough to force an audible gasp from her while her entire body went rigid. Her breathing elevated even higher when his mouth made a second pass, much slower than the first and lingering just below her jaw. There his lips stayed, torturing her with sensual delight until she finally had to give.

"Maybe…" Elsa panted between breaths. "Maybe you excited me a little." His fiery tongue flicked across her, sending sparks cascading throughout her. "Or a lot!"

Laughing openly this time, Aaron drew back again to give her another content look before his face became reproachful. Using a mocking tone, he chided, "You know, you shouldn't lie. It's unbecoming of a lady."

She was feeling faintly lightheaded and flushed, her heart thumping heavily within her chest, but she still managed to return the look. "I'm the queen. I can say whatever I like."

Aaron gave her a long, deep look before a hint of desire crept into his eyes. Leaning in again, he spoke in a voice that sent a thrill along her spine and left her weak in the knees. In a tone that was dark and resonate yet stilled dripped with sin. "Yes, but you're _my_ queen."

This time when his lips stroked hers she was only able to hold out for a moment. Then all at once her strength fled and her hands were free to do as they wished. They quickly clawed their way onto his back and grabbed fistfuls of his cloak as she melted into his arms, giving herself fully to the kiss. Her submission only caused him to kiss her all the more vehemently, his body pressing into hers and his hands going into motion, which in turn served to heighten her pleasure. Feeling his one hand stroking the small of her back while the other gently rested on her waist was almost enough to drive her to the point where she could no longer form cognitive thoughts.

Then she felt his hand start to drift up towards her bosom.

Part of her desperately wanted to allow him to continue. To feel the sweet release of his deft hands handling her womanhood, driving her into even loftier realms of ecstasy. To let him cross that threshold with all the passion he could manage. But Elsa also knew that if she let him do that she wouldn't have the strength to stop him from going further. Or, worse yet, that she wouldn't want to stop him. So she had to put a stop to it before it began.

Pulling one of her hands back, she caught ahold of his wrist just before he could achieve his goal. She then drew her lips from his just long enough to murmur, "No, Aaron," before diving back into the kiss. For a moment he respected her wish, his hand yielding to hers. But as soon as their kissing was back in full swing she felt him glide upward again.

_Alright, enough,_ she thought as a twinge of irritation flashed through her. Placing her other hand on his shoulder and giving a small push, she opened her eyes to give him a stern look. "I said no, Aaron."

He gave her an alluring look several seconds until he realized that she was no longer playing. Letting his smile broaden, he crooned, "Come on, Elsa." When her expression remained resolute he moved in for another kiss, continuing to purr softly. "You know you want this."

Turning her head away so that his lips couldn't reach hers, she curtly replied, "Maybe." There was no question that her actual answer was a definite yes but she wasn't about to let on her desire.

His attempt at a kiss rejected, Aaron leaned back but kept his arms remained firmly wrapped around her. When Elsa eventually looked back at him she saw that his seductive grin was gone and he was now giving her a measured stare. He didn't say anything for a moment, continuing to scrutinize her, and when he did it was in a tempered tone. "What's wrong?"

Shaking her head, she spoke quickly and furtively as though someone else was trying to listen in. "We can't. Not here."

"Why not?"

"Anyone could just walk in." As she spoke she shot a nervous glance towards the door.

Aaron didn't so much as blink. "So?"

_So? So?!_ A large number of objections flashed through Elsa's mind, along with a minor wave of frustration. _Imagine someone walking in on us doing something like that!_ However, she managed to maintain a calm exterior and went with a less obvious reason. "Then they'd find out. About us."

He didn't react at first, instead continuing to give her a long look. Then, taking a step back, he slid his hands down along her arms until they took ahold of her hands. Neither of them spoke for a moment, with her studying his face for any hint as to what he was thinking while Aaron just stared down at their joined hands, until he seemed to make up his mind. "I don't care."

Letting out a weary sigh, Elsa shook her head. "Aaron…" This wasn't the first time they'd had this discussion would it be the last. It had originally been her idea to keep their relationship a secret from the kingdom and she still felt it was in their best interest. There was enough to worry about in a budding romance without constantly being under scrutiny from hundreds of strangers. Aaron had agreed to it, if a bit reluctantly, but had made it clear that he wasn't a fan of the idea. And the more time that went by the more he pushed for them to reveal their bond.

She was about to continue speaking when he looked back up at her, his eyes resolute and his voice firm. "No, Elsa. I don't care anymore. I'm tired of this charade."

Wearing a placating smile, she tried to sound reassuring. "I know. I am too. I can't wait for the day when I can publically declare my love for you."

"Then give me one reason why that day can't be today."

Normally she would have had to think for a moment to come up with an excuse. However, there was an event approaching that would serve nicely as a reason. "The wedding. We have to wait until after the wedding. It's Anna's day and I don't want anything to take away from it."

Aaron continued to give her a hard look before nodding slightly, as though he'd already had the same thought. "Agreed." Smirking, he added, "Can you imagine what Anna would do if we released something like this on the day of her wedding?"

Letting out a light laugh, Elsa also smiled. "She'd be furious."

He shared the chuckle for a moment before his face grew serious again. "But after the wedding…"

_You are not going to let this go, are you?_ Enough was enough, though. They would have to tell people sooner or later so what was the point of delaying it much more? _Besides, it's not like I can think of another excuse not to._ "Then we'll tell everyone. After the Blooming Festival is over and everyone has gone home I'll tell the council and then the people."

A few seconds ticked by before he gave a shrug. "Fine. We'll wait until after the festival." While he clearly wasn't thrilled by the prospect of having to wait another two weeks he didn't protest, instead giving her another close look. "But I'm going to hold you to that."

"I know you will." Excising one of her hands from his, she gently placed that hand on his cheek while giving him an enamored smile. "You've been so patient over these last few months. Far more patient than I could have asked for. Now I need you to be patient for just a little while longer."

His hard expression melted away beneath her touch, leaving behind a gratified smirk. "It's a good thing I love you so much. Otherwise I don't think I would put up with this."

Elsa's smile widened as she took a step closer and leaned in towards him. "I love you too."

Before they could share another tender kiss, though, she heard the door open and felt a pang of frustration. _Not now!_ However, the irritation was quickly replaced by panic when she realized someone had just walked in on her and Aaron in each other's arms. After their compromise someone was going to find out today anyway. As a result she gave a relieved sigh when she turned to see it was only Anna standing in the doorway, giving them an apologetic look.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," she said sheepishly, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind her.

Putting on a composed smile, Elsa calmly replied, "It's alright. You didn't interrupt anything too important."

Aaron didn't seem to agree with her as he let out a sigh of his own, only his was out of agitation rather than relief. Taking a step away from Elsa but holding onto her hand, he gave her sister a reproachful look. "Anna, what have I told you about knocking?"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," she stammered, walking over to stand by the fire. As she held out her hands towards the warm flames she gave him a puzzled glance. "But, honestly, I didn't think that you'd still be here, Aaron."

Now it was his turn to look confused. "What do you mean? Where else would I be?"

"Aren't you and Kristoff going to-"

Aaron's eyes widened and his mouth slackened. "Crap! I completely forgot!" He was about to dart for the door when he hesitated and looked back at Elsa. "Sorry, love. I have to go."

Laughing at his sudden shock, she waved him off. "I know. You've been planning this for over a week. You and Kristoff have fun on your trip." After a thought she added, "Just don't do anything too crazy."

"We won't," he replied with a grin before he gave her an alluring look. "We'll be back the day after tomorrow."

She let her own expression become beckoning as she gave his hand a squeeze. "I'll be here."

For a moment it looked like he didn't want to leave just yet while they gazed at each other fondly. But then he gave her a brief kiss before turning away. After giving Anna a brief farewell he rushed to the door, flung it open and hurried down the hall. Watching him go, she suppressed another giggle. While Aaron didn't panic very often, when he did he tended to have an amusing look on his face. As though he'd suddenly realized that he'd set his socks ablaze. Which had happened once when she'd surprised him one evening by accidently dropping a snowbank on his head…

Elsa was so enamored by the memory, laughing as he sputtered and shook frost out of his hair before noticing the inferno consuming his feet, that it took several moments until she eventually realized that Anna was watching her intently. After glancing down to make sure that there was nothing amiss with her attire and seeing nothing out of the ordinary she gave her sister a confused look. "What?"

Her smile broadened while looked back at the fire. "You're a lucky woman, sis."

Smirking, Elsa shook her head. "How so?"

"A lot of women would kill to have a man like Aaron in their lives," she replied, shooting her a glance. "And yet he just sort of fell into your lap."

That drew out a smile of her own as she also looked at the flickering flames. It was true that they'd met seemingly by chance and yet now their lives seemed inseparable. She had no idea where she would be if it wasn't for him but even if nothing else had changed she was still immeasurably grateful for their meeting. "Yeah. I guess I am kind of lucky." Looking over at Anna, she said, "But I'm not the only fortunate one here. I mean, you're getting married in three days!"

Anna didn't react for a moment, staring into the fire pensively, until a warm smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "To the man of my dreams."

"Feeling nervous at all?"

"A little. But that's natural." She gave Elsa an anxious look. "Right?"

Trying her best to look reassuring, she stepped next to her sister and placed her arm across her shoulders to give her a small hug. "Of course it is. It's a big step to take in life. Everything will be fine, though. Just so long as you take that step together. I only hope Kristoff realizes how lucky he is to be engaged to my beautiful baby sister."

The uncertainty vanished, replaced by another heartwarming smile. "Trust me, he does. He tells me every time he sees me."

Elsa gave her a curious look and asked, "He actually says that?"

Shaking her head, Anna shrugged. "Doesn't have to. All he has to do is look at me like I'm the only woman in the world." Her smile faltered slightly. "I just wish Olaf could be here for the wedding."

She didn't respond right away, thinking about the snowman. It had nearly been two months since he'd left, saying that he wanted to see more of the world. The last she'd heard of him he was somewhere in northern Arendelle, working his way along the coast. They hoped he was doing fine, but he promised to be back before the summer ended. "I'm sure wherever he is he's wishing he could be here too."

Anna appeared to be lost in thought for a moment, reflecting on the little snowman, before she gave her head a small shake and slipped her arm around Elsa's, towing her towards the hall. "Come on."

Rather than resisting, Elsa went along without complaint, asking, "Where are we going?"

"To see the boys off on their trip." Anna flashed her a quick grin and added, "And to remind them of the two lucky women who will be waiting for them back at home."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The ocean spray spritzed over the ship's railing as it slipped through the cresting waves, its sails caught up in the morning breeze. There was nothing to be seen in any direction except for the sparkling sea beneath the azure sky. Not a single cloud brushed the horizon nor did any birds flit through the sky, leaving the sun to make its daily trek in solitude. Oblivious to its isolation, the ship continued to surge forward, the dusky blue flag of Maneva fluttering from its tallest mast.

The crew worked all along the vessel, with tasks ranging from swabbing the deck to seeing to the rigging. Though the work was hard everyone was just grateful to be out in the sun after nights of howling storms and surging swells so fierce they nearly claimed the ship. Such tempests were common place in the Starden Sea in the spring and had sunk numerous crafts. However, the masts had held and when the sun broke the horizon to reveal a calm, beckoning morning they were all too willing to enjoy it. That is, all but one.

Pushing open the door to her cabin, Kresta stepped out onto the deck and took in a deep breath as she stretched her arms above her head. After letting out a refreshed sigh she brushed her brunette hair over her shoulder while looking out over the boundless ocean. The breeze tugged at her chocolate tresses and teased the hem of her skirt but she didn't notice, instead savoring the sun's light playing over her olive skin. After two days of squalls it was invigorating to feel its warm rays and to see nothing but clear skies from horizon to horizon.

Her emerald eyes lingered on the sea for a moment longer before she turned and made her way towards the main deck, passing a few crewman along the way. Though they each offered a polite greeting to her as she went by she couldn't help noticing that their eyes lingered a little too long in places that they shouldn't. Not that she blamed them, what with her flawless visage and toned calves. While most women might have been offended by them Kresta actually found it to be quite flattering, causing her to giggle to herself. _Men,_ she thought with a smirk as she approached the stairs to the upper deck. _Always so subtle with their intentions._

Kresta leisurely climbed the steps, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand as she went, until she reached the top before pausing to look around. She then caught sight of a particularly grizzly older man standing by the ship's wheel. As soon as she spotted him he also noticed her and gave her a mild bow. "Good morning, Princess Kresta. I was beginning to wonder when you were going to wake."

Her lips curled up into a smile as she returned the bow with a nod before walking over to join him. "Good morning, Captain. Unfortunately, the storms from the previous nights left me so exhausted I thought I'd sleep in this morning."

"An understandable decision, your highness." Turning away from her, he looked up at the spotless sky. "Luckily we're blessed with excellent sailing weather on this fine morning."

"That's a relief. I was beginning to worry that the storms would have delayed us."

"Not at all, your highness. You forget that this is one of the fastest ships in the Royal Navy. We should arrive in the city of Arendelle with time to spare."

Nodding, she also looked to the heavens. _Oh good. I'd hate it if we missed the wedding._ But that wasn't why she'd come to the upper deck. "Listen, captain, the reason I came up here is I wanted to see if you've seen my brother. I want to check up on him."

That drew a small smirk across his face, though his voice "Last I saw he was in the same place where he'd already spent the majority of the voyage. With his head over the railing losing his breakfast into the sea." The man cast her a glance out of the corner of his eye. "He's not much of a sailor, is he?"

_Guess that figures. I'll bet he hasn't moved a foot from where I left him._ Shaking her head, she started backing towards the stairs, intent on tracking down her brother. "I'm afraid not. Traversing the sea was never really his thing."

"A pity. Please give my sympathies to the young prince."

She gave him another smile, pausing at the top of the stairs. "I will. If you'll excuse me, Captain."

"Your highness," he replied, giving her a second bow before returning his attention to the placid sea ahead of them.

The ship pitched and yawed gently beneath her feet, responding to the waves breaking against its hull, as she worked her way across the deck towards the bow. While the slight rocking it created didn't bother her in any way it rendered her brother all but useless with bouts of seasickness. The ship's cook had offered up a few remedies that were supposed to help but they'd only followed everything else he ate into the sea shortly thereafter.

When Kresta did find him she was surprised to see that he'd managed to at least move from one side of the ship to the other, though he still had his head over the railing. She normally considered him to be a somewhat handsome man, with his chestnut hair and strong complexion, but his constant sickness gave his skin a decidedly green tone and left heavy bags under his jade eyes from lack of sleep. Though she might have enjoyed sailing but the sooner they got off this ship the better it would be for him.

Stopping beside him, she tried to think of something consoling but the best she could come up with was, "Good morning, Zach. How're you feeling today?" He didn't react to her voice, instead continuing to purge himself, so she leaned against the railing beside him, patiently waiting for the bout to pass while doing her best to ignore the sound of his retching.

After a while he finally managed to stop hacking out the contents of his stomach long enough to press the cloth he was holding to his lips. "Remind me why we're making this godforsaken trip," he muttered though the rag.

"To attend Anna's wedding," she replied calmly, watching the water lick against the ship's hull below. When his only response was a muffled _humph_ she added, "You like Anna. Remember?"

His perpetual seasickness seemed to have temporarily abated as he turned his head to give her a baleful look. Judging from his bloodshot eyes she gathered he hadn't gotten any sleep in the night. "I can barely remember the girl at all. It's been, what, over a decade since we last saw her."

Unperturbed by his discourteous tone, Kresta shrugged and replied, "Well I remember her. A sweet, fun little girl who always wanted to play with everyone. God how I loved when they would come to visit us in Maneva." Her eyes saddened slightly as she found herself swept up in bittersweet memories. "I miss her."

Zach didn't appear to share in her sentiment, though, as his disgruntled disposition remained steadfast. "Why? It's not like we saw them all that often."

"No, but she made those parts of my childhood that much better."

That managed to crack a smile across his face, accompanied by a small chuckle. "Hey, I'm your brother. What did I do, make it terrible?"

Looking over at him, she returned the smile with one of her own. "Of course. You did destroyed nearly every toy I owned, after all."

He let another snicker and shook his head, looking out over the ocean. "Yeah, I guess I did do that," he said amusedly before his eyes became wistful. "At least now we know why they stopped coming. Who'd have thought Elsa was a… well, whatever you call what she is. What?"

Kresta had inadvertently let out a sigh at the mention of their estrangement with the sisters. Every summer they would come for a visit but one year it all just stopped and she'd never known why. But her young mind had come up with a reason. "Honestly? For the longest time I thought I was the reason they no longer visited. As though they didn't like me to the point they didn't want to see me anymore."

"Nonsense!" Zach replied, his grin returning in full force. "How could anyone dislike my sweet twin sister? That's my job." As he spoke he gave her a nudge with his elbow.

Nudging him back, she jokingly said, "Hate you too, brother."

They shared a fond smile for a moment before he looked back towards the horizon. Neither of them spoke for a few moments, simply enjoying the warmth of the sun and the meandering breeze. She always did enjoy spending time with her brother. Kresta liked to spend time with all her siblings but her other brother was too busy with all the responsibilities of being a king and she hadn't seen her sister in nearly a year. _Not that I miss Gabriella,_ she thought with a grin. _She's already living the dream._

"But you know, Ann's wedding isn't the only reason we're going. If I was going through all this suffering just to attend a wedding I think I'd throw myself overboard and put an end to it."

Zach's voice pulled her back to the conversation and she looked to see he was wearing a distant expression. "Oh, right. How could I forget?" she said, fighting the urge to laugh. "You're going to sweep Queen Elsa off her feet and make her fall madly in love with you."

Glancing over at her, he gave her an irritate look. "As you may recall Elsa and I got along quite well. A few more years and we would have been betrothed."

Nodding, Kresta looked down at the cresting waters below in time to see a school of fish pass under the ship. There had once talk of her brother and Elsa being engaged to one another. Something about strengthening the bond between the kingdoms. Her father had been particularly excited about the arrangement, since it would allow for both of his sons to become kings. But like most plans it fell apart. "Whatever happened to that plan, anyway?" she asked, watching the fish swim through the calm waters.

"I already gave you the answer," he replied, letting out a sigh. "They stopped coming, and even though I wrote her any replies I got were short and abrupt. Eventually it just fell by the wayside."

The memory seemed to make him a bit melancholy so she decided to try and distract him from it. "So, what? Now you hope to rekindle some old flame between you?"

That at least managed to drive him back towards irritation, which she supposed was better than being gloomy. Giving her a frustrated look and shrugging, he calmly said, "Stranger things have happened."

"Look, all I'm saying is don't get your hopes up. She's a young woman and a queen no less. I'm sure she has a list of suitors a mile long."

"And I'm a prince. Seems like a good match."

_Alright, time to change the subject._ Looking down at her hands, she said, "At the very least it'll be nice to see her again. Elsa isn't the only person I'm interested in meeting, though."

The comment clearly took Zach off guard as it took a few seconds for him to come up with a response. "What do you mean?"

"Haven't you heard?" Kresta asked, flicking her eyes over to him for a moment. His face was befuddled as he stared at her, which only made sense. It wasn't like they knew anyone there besides the sisters. Looking back at her hands, she continued. "Apparently she's not the only one with certain… talents in Arendelle."

"What are you talking about?"

Closely inspecting a finger, she brushed a bit of dirt from her nail "Word has it there's a man there who has supernatural talents like her, only where her abilities focus around ice he has the ability to conjure and manipulate flame." Though she was trying to appear to be only mildly interested, internally she writhing with curiosity. Kresta was dying to meet whoever this, what was the word… pyromancer and to see what he could do. The last reaction she expected from her brother, though, was laughter. "What's so funny?"

Shaking his head, he gave her a gleeful look. "It's kind of ironic, isn't it?"

"What is?" she asked, still not seeing what was so funny.

"Fire and ice," he replied with another chuckle. "How droll."

Giving her own head a shake, she gave a wistful smile. "I prefer to think of it as poetic."

It took a little while but eventually her brother's laughter subsided and he managed to calm down again. After taking another second to compose himself he gave her an inquisitive look. "Why do you want to meet this guy anyway?"

Again his response wasn't what she'd expected. _What, you don't?_ "Why wouldn't I? Have you ever met someone who can summon a flame with just a snap of his fingers? I can't even imagine what someone with that much power within them looks like."

"Now it's my turn to say don't get your hopes up. For all you know this is just hearsay."

Shrugging, she looked back at the sea. "I hope not."

He seemed about to reply when the ship gave a particularly hard lurch, nearly toppling both of them. While she was able to remain upright and unharmed Zach clapped a hand over his mouth before leaning over the railing, his seasickness returning in full force. The sudden onset of his illness nearly caused her to lose her own breakfast but she was able to turn away in time to not see anything. However, she was still able to hear every sound.

Patting him on the back but still looking away, she said, "Wait here. I'm going to go get you some fresh water."

He managed to pull himself together long enough to say, "Get me a new rag, too. I think this one's done for."

"Sure thing."

With that she walked away as quickly as she could, trying to block out the sounds he was making. Despite what was now coming out of his mouth, though, his words had had some truth to them. It was possible, maybe even likely, that this man didn't even exist. If that was the case, though, she was going to be extremely disappointed. _I hope he's real. Whoever he is,_ Kresta thought as she made her way below deck.


End file.
